Chapter two: Reinforcements
"Ok, I've heard up the grapevine that our favorite local hero has had another incident.. And I wanna know what happened!" Rayla announced to the gathered group of pups.
"All we know is Chase had another fall, and reinjured the shoulder Rex almost tore up." Kylie told them.
"Yeah, I heard about it from Aaron, who heard it from Katie, who heard it from Ryder himself." Rayla stated. "And I wanna know more, so, come on.. spill. What did that Snowfall pup tell you about it?"
"Just that Chase may be reliving the nightmare of the CorDan mansion.." Skyler replied matter-of-factly.
"Over statement," Rayla determined, shooting the last comment down gently. "Anything else?"
"Just that Chase is also not willing to talk about it so they're all left guessing what he's thinking and feeling.." Kylie answered up. "Even though they're making efforts to crack his shell by giving him space, then spending some time with him."
"That tears it.. We gotta intervene." Tiny decided.
"No,.. it sounds like they've got a plan up their sleeves.." Rayla declined quickly, a dominant tone to her voice. "And they know him better than we do. If they need us, we're here,.. but till then let's give them time to work something out.. Maybe with any luck they can get through to him this time. Remind him who was there for him last time. And if not, we can always put a call to Ryder that we're here.."
"Not that they wouldn't know to call us anyway." CiCi mentioned, to which many of them either nodded or shrugged.
"Sounds like a good plan," Boomerang's voice called up to them. Then Rayla headed over to peer down on the old Australian Shepherd laying at the base of the tree, with the rest of her friends joining her.
"We can find a way to get you up here." She told him.
"That's ok, Youngin'.." Boomerang sighed, heavily stepping his front paws up to sit. "This old body'd never get back down in one piece again."
"I know, we'll figure something else out," Rayla sighed in guilt.
"Maybe we can build a ground tree house." Skyler suggested, but got various weird looks from the rest of her friends. "What?"
"It's ok, Pals.." Boomerang grunted, lowering back down again. "My body may not be good, but my hearing seems to have gotten better than ever."
"So,.. that's it? We're just gonna wait around for something to happen?" Kylie wondered, earning everyone's attention.
"At this point, I'm not sure what else we can do." Tiny sighed.
"He's right, who are we to knock some sense into him, we don't even know what happened this time." CiCi pointed out.
"I might have a guess.." Rayla wondered, her thoughts beginning to wander as the memory began to fade..
xxxx
"Aw man!" Chase groaned. "You made me an emergency."
"We care about you, dude." Tiny swagged.
"And we care about how you're doing." CiCi added.
"Especially after all we'd been through together." Skyler agreed.
"Exactly, we all saw first hand what that injury and all the trials that came with it did to you, and how badly it tore you down.." Rayla reasoned. "We just didn't want that rollercoaster to start all over again."
"And I did it all to myself anyway." Chase sighed, regretfully dropping his gaze.
"Hey, at least you finally got the sense knocked into you.." the border collie among them said. "And we didn't have to do it after all! Hehehe.."
"Skyler!" The pups all condemned.
"What?! Is that not what happened?!" Sklyer reasoned.
"No. Didn't Rayla tell you- wait, you didn't tell them what I reported at Thanksgiving, did you? They don't know," Snowflake said, before turning to Rayla and asked.
"Well, Snowflake and Chase had their bonding time, then we all just decorated the Lookout for Thanksgiving, played and acted silly during our free time, then after a while we decorated for Christmas, Chase freaked out until he slipped and fell off the cliff," Ned replied, summarizing everything in a short version.
"No, I told them.." Rayla confirmed confidently. "That conversation was just after Skyler and Kylie talked to you. But your report of how it all went came much later. A couple weeks at least."
"So you discussed how you were gonna help me.. Got it.. Then what?" Chase wondered, a bit dry in tone at the beginning.
"Well once you guys hung out, I caught wind of it from Maggie that you guys were getting on ok.. And then Katie was saying you tumbled downhill quick. Then a day or two after thanksgiving.." And Chase sensed another story coming on as their minds faded back.
xxxx
Pup tags flashed as they rang for attention on the collars of the startled pups who wore them.
"Never gonna get used to that.." Rayla sighed, glancing at Kylie awkwardly. "Hello? Uh.. Rayla speaking.."
"Hello, we are calling you about your car's extended warranty. We would like to-" a monotone, almost robotic voice said as Rayla gave a deadpanned expression.
"Uhhh, sorry, I think you've got the wrong number. Bye," Rayla replied before ending the call. Within seconds, another call came through on her pup tag and she answered it.
"Hello? This is Rayla," the lab spoke again.
"Hello Rayla! Congratulations! You are lucky pup one thousand, and have just won a lifetime supply of free dog food! We accept cash or credit, so to accept your gift, please type in-" a goofy business male voice said until it was interrupted.
"Ned! Quite goofing off! Let me talk to her!" Snowflake exclaimed seriously.
"Just holding the phone for you," Ned said before he stopped talking.
"I'm so sorry about that Rayla. My brother Ned can be a bit goofy. Even when it's not necessary. I hope I'm not interrupting you," Snowflake apologized politely.
"Um,.. Hi,.. uh Snowflake, how'd you get patched into my network?" Rayla wondered, shrugging to her friends to show her confusion. "Is everything ok?"
"Ryder gave me the number. To answer your question, no. We were celebrating by putting up Christmas decorations when Chase freaked out. He ran off into the snow and when we tried to catch him, he slipped and was hanging off the cliff. He tried to tell us why he's been avoiding us during the rescue, but while we were rescuing him, Chase fell off the cliff and hit his head on the ice. We got him back safe, but... we could really use your help. Things have been a bit sad given Chase's cliff injury," Snowflake explained.
"What?!" Rayla gasped, realizing the reason it had sounded louder than usual was because everyone else with her had shouted the same thing.
"When did this happen?!" Rayla wondered quickly.
"Yesterday in the evening," Snowflake answered.
"Well-.. is he ok?!" Rayla wondered, every pup drawing closer to hear more clearly.
"Chase is alive, but unconscious. Marshall wrapped his head in bandages and had ice put on his head in case there was swelling. We're all watching him, while trying to live normally," Snowflake confessed.
"Ok.. but.. How can we help?" Kylie wondered curiously.
"To help Chase get better and.. Ummmm..." Snowflake responded before going quiet.
"We just think that since you guys helped us recover him last time.. You may have insight in how to help him through this too.." Marshall's voice finished for her. "In theory.. ya know?"
"Ohhhh we thought you'd never ask!" Skyler gushed, muttering excitedly to herself afterwards.
"Uh,.. -yeah, we'd love to come help." Rayla replied finally, blinking out of a thoughtful daze. "I'll let Aaron know and we'll be sure to come on up in a little bit. Guys, get Boomerang on the line, we need Billy to get us there asap!"
"Wait, will Billy be joining you?" Snowflake asked, remembering the last time Billy had visited. Chase was sad not to have seen him.
"Yes he will, but only for a little while he probably won't be able to stay all night.. But who knows when he'll wake up.. Maybe he'll wake tomorrow. And he can come see him then?" Rayla reasoned.
"Sounds like a plan. See you soon," Snowflake replied.
"Ok! See yah! We'll let you know if something comes up, and.. I suspect you'll do the same?" Rayla wondered, to clarify.
"Yes, we will," Snowflake confirmed.
"Great, we'll see ya soon!" Rayla finally finished and the call dropped.
"Guess we're therapy support again, so look alive my little puppies, we're headed to the Lookout!"
"Yes ma'am!" the pups saluted, standing erect at her leadership stance. Then the memory began to fade away again and they returned to their own reality..
xxxx
"So you guys only mobilized when they said to move? Ha! Figures." Chase smirked, that small hint of humor warming their hearts.
"Yeah, well if we'd have done it my way, you'd have cracked sooner." Rayla shot back smoothly.
"Cracked? Like a nut?" Skyler thought brightly. "Great idea!"
"Skyler!" Rayla called, before the border collie could knock on Chase's head. "Not that kind of crack,.. and it already happened.."
"Ohh, right.. Good." Skyler smiled, standing down and smiling at Chase who was able to let down his guard.
"Well, we're caught up on the PUP Pals coming to The Lookout. But something still doesn't make sense; Chase, what were you trying to tell us before you fell?" Snowflake commented.
Chase's glance cocked away from her briefly, clearly confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You never said why you didn't tell us why you weren't honest about your problems," Snowflake answered.
"What are you talking about, I told you guys I wanted to deal with it myself.." Chase returned, even more confused.
"But you were saying you're not.. something," Snowflake responded. "What was it?"
"Um.."
"It's ok if you don't remember just yet.." Marshall said. "Your brain might still be a little fuzzy from the concussion."
"Hey don't give him an excuse!" Chester countered. "He'll beat it to death!"
"He's right though.." Chase pointed out.. "I am still a little fuzzy.. But I know I can't escape it.. I thought I was dealing with it, when really.. I was just avoiding it.. And as we've all figured out by now.. Running from your demons doesn't take you anywhere.. Like the balance boards we play with all the time." And they could tell by how his depressed gaze fell that he was being as purely honest as he could possibly sound.
"We kept giving you chances. You just had to be honest, Chase. Not every pup can go through tough times and not be affected. It's okay to get help," Snowflake said sympathetically.
"I know.." Chase sighed. "It's just that I'm always the one taking care of everyone else. Making sure things stay on track.. protecting people.. that's my thing.. I'm not really all that good at.. giving that up."
"And that's why we're here.." Rayla told him. "Cause we're the only ones who can pry that away from you. So from now on, until further notice, we're in control.. no one's care matters more than yours until this giant has been slain once and for all."
"But what about?-"
"Not your problem for right now.." the golden lab told him.
"It's always my job.." Chase countered.
"Not right now, not till this brain and this heart heals completely." Rayla asserted touching his head then his chest respectively as she spoke.
"But what if I gotta-"
"Not till you're completely back on track." Rayla reinforced. "Hey.. I get it ain't easy to step away, I don't like to either. I'm always in other people's business, but only 'cause I care.. but even I know that there are times where we need to rest and take care of ourselves."
"It doesn't make you any less you.." Kylie told him.
"But you gotta slow down, young one." Boomerang told him, sitting up stiffly. "Otherwise you end up like me."
And when Ryder came to set a hand on the dog's shoulder from the opposite side, facing the rest of the group, Boomerang smiled and laid down again.
"Marshall, care to lend a paw?" Ryder asked, stroking down Boomerang's body.
"Sure thing," the Dalmatian responded, "You guys carry on."
Then as Marshall wandered away Ryder popped a hinged capsule off Boomerang's collar and out fell a small white tablet. Ryder popped the capsule back in place as Marshall nudged a bowl over with a soft dog chew in it. Ryder carefully pushed the white tablet into it and gave it to Boomerang who graciously and calmly accepted it.
Rayla wandered over while some members of the PUP Pals drew a bit closer as well. Chase just stared as if in a daze watching intently.
"You good, Boomer?" Rayla asked him.
"I'll be ok, youngin'.." the old dog responded positively. "Arthritis is just a wild beast needing to be tamed.. but it'll only stay calm for so long before it needs more to sustain it. But I'm not the real patient here.."
"I know, Aussie sir.." Rayla sighed.. "'Just wish it wasn't a battle you had to fight."
"I manage." Boomerang shrugged. "I just take longer to keep up with you kids,.. that's all."
"Boomer?.." Skyler spoke up to get all their attention. "How come you're so busted up like Chase?" And even though members of the PUP Pals snapped at her for asking, they could tell she was earnest in saying so.
"It's ok, little ones.." Boomerang shrugged them off. "I've just had a long life of ups and downs. Been in and out of homes.. the ones that loved me couldn't keep me and the ones that didn't I was rescued from. And the prime of my life left me with the sore consequences I'm paying for now. Just an older and much wiser version of the wild youngin' I once was."
"Yeah but, what happened?" Skyler wondered.
"A story for another time, sweet Sky." The Australian Shepherd replied, making the border collie sigh in defeat.
"Wait, arthritis? Did you hurt yourself or your bones getting older? I'm sorry," Snowflake asked the Aussie dog before carefully hugging Boomerang.
"Awh, it's nothing really.." the old dog replied with a smile. "Just the result of my youth catching up with me."
"Okay," Snowflake replied before separating from the hug.
"But yeah, we talked while you were sleeping," she said, turning back to Chase.
"About what?" Chase wondered.
"About what you said." Rocky told him.
"All we're saying, Chase, is take the time you need to get better," Skye ventured, bringing everyone back to attention. "So you can be a more effective you again!"
"Skye is right. It was a quiet time when you were resting," Ned added.
"How quiet? I'm not that loud.." Chase wondered eerily.
"You were quiet as a gentle breeze," Ned replied.
"And I'm not any other time?" Chase wondered, a tint of anxiety rising in him.
"Chill, dude, a different kind of quiet." Zuma told him.
"Since when did you get so highly strung?" Rayla wondered. "You really need to relax. Thankfully we may have a way to help with that.."
Then a man appeared from around the elevator that he recognized immediately, and felt an instant burst of energy begin to empower him beyond what he had before.
"Billy?!" Wincing in the sudden transition to standing, he carefully crawled up into the man's lap to snuggle him as he calmly knelt down to receive him.
"Hey buddy.. I heard we found out just how hard that head of yours is.." Billy said, stroking his big strong hand down the length of the pup's body. "Turns out, it's not made of iron."
"Was it really an experiment?" Chester wondered, turning to the pups among him with a smirk.
"I hope not!" Chase groaned, shifting more onto his back so Billy could scratch his belly and chest. "Cause I would've failed miserably.."
"Yeah, you would have!" Chester agreed. "I'm just glad it didn't permanently break you!"
"Yeah. Plus it wasn't a real experiment or test. More of a medical miracle," Snowflake corrected.
"Why?" Chase wondered.
"Well, you're lucky your head injury isn't worse!" Snowflake remarked.
Chase just groaned.
"It feels like it was worse.." he sighed, slumping down in Billy's embrace.
And that's the next chapter! So much fun recapping the missing parts to bridge the otherwise non-existent gap between this story and the last.. I love flashbacks! XD
So much you can do with them! However on that note.. more still to come.. Also welcome to the PUP Pals for making their appearance in this story arc! Been looking forward to this for a little while,.. since the scene in the previous story I guess. So yay for that connection,.. and with that.. Enjoy! Until next time! Thx!